


The Rehabilitation of Sanji

by Whitepillar



Category: One Piece
Genre: Caring Roronoa Zoro, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Hurt Vinsmoke Sanji, Hurt/Comfort, Injured Vinsmoke Sanji, Luffy Being Luffy, Nakama, Nakamaship, POV Roronoa Zoro, Post-Time Skip, Protective Roronoa Zoro, Rehabilitation, Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji Bickering, Roronoa Zoro is Bad At Feelings, Sanji starving, Starvation, Vinsmoke Sanji-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:14:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22897804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whitepillar/pseuds/Whitepillar
Summary: Sanji never escaped from his cell, and spent his whole life there until one day Zoro finds him, starving and alone. Unable to leave him there, Zoro takes the role of caretaker, though reluctantly. A story concentrating on how Sanji's life would be if he met the Straw-hats much later in life. No pairings. Nakamanship. Heavy on the relationship between Zoro and Sanji. Two-shot.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 268





	1. Finding a lost soul

**Author's Note:**

> AN: First and foremost, thank you all for reading this story :)
> 
> Some notes: This story takes place in an ambiguous time after the time-skip of two years. As for how the crew survived without a cook that long, I'll leave that to your own imagination.
> 
> Sanji will certainly be out of character for the first bit of this story, as his life is drastically different. But eventually he should grow into himself.
> 
> This story is planned to be a two-shot.
> 
> There are no pairings in this story, though it focuses on the relationship between Sanji and Zoro mainly.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

The smell that radiated from the dank stone staircase almost prevented the swordsman from entering. It smelled of filth and decay, and Zoro could guess that it led down to the dungeons. He doubted he would find anything worth finding down there, as this mansion had clearly been abandoned for some time. However, he was sure he would be berated later if he didn't search every inch of the place for anything of value.

He paused at the door, staring down into the darkness and listening for anything. He held his makeshift torch out over the stairs to try and see anything, but the stairs spiraled down blocking his view. There was a trickling sound, which he assumed was a leak of water of some sort, that echoed within. He rested his hand on one of his swords, just in case, and made his way down the grimy and slick stairs that were lightly covered in dust.

He was right, it was a dungeon, though a small one. There were only a couple cells in the room, and one of them was empty except for some loose chains and old blankets in the corner.

The other cell, however, was surprisingly full of objects, even if they were a bit shabby. There was a broken cot that had been pushed into the corner, next to a rickety and smashed bookcase that was laying on the ground beside it. An abundance of books were scattered across the floor, several even reaching outside of the cell, covered in pictures of food. There was also a mound of dirty clothes piled against the wall. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a scrawny, dirty, hairy leg sticking out from the pile.

Zoro shook his head, hoping the man had at least died in his sleep. The mansion he had entered had been abandoned for some time from the looks of it, so this man must've died long before.

He turned then towards the trickling sound. It wasn't anything special, simply a leaking ceiling just outside of the cell. There was a crack that allowed the smallest sliver of light to shine through and the leaking water was able to somehow be enough to allow a small patch of moss to grow around it. It was almost beautiful in a way, but Zoro wasn't one to really care about those sorts of things.

He glanced at the cell once again but felt it would not only be a tad inappropriate but also not worth it to check inside, so he headed back towards the stairs.

_Scrape, scrape._

Zoro paused and looked over his shoulder, his hand back on his sword. He moved the torch back over to the cell and saw that the man had moved slightly. His leg was now curled up against his covered body.

"You're alive?" Zoro asked aburptly, his voice echoing through the room. The bundle seemed to flinch at the sound. Zoro cursed and walked over to the cell, peering inside. He hesitated a moment, pondering if he should actually let a prisoner free, but figured the man had suffered enough and he couldn't in good conscious leave him there. He set the torch in a slot on the wall before raising his sword and slicing through the lock. It fell with a loud clang on the ground and the man in the cell curled into a ball with a moan.

Zoro walked over and paused right before the figure. He hesitated, wondering if he should leave and get the others. He wasn't worried for his own safety, but rather wondered if a doctor would be needed. A raspy breathing sound could be heard from under the blanket, now that he was closer. Zoro crouched down in front of the figure.

"Hey." He said as he reached over and shook what he thought might be the figure's shoulder. The man shuddered but didn't respond. Zoro frowned and grabbed the blanket, pulling it off and tossing it aside. The first thing that hit him was the smell, and as he covered his nose, he got a good look at the man. It was hard to tell age, but he guessed the man was similar to his own. He had long dirty blonde hair covering most of his face that didn't look washed or cut in a long time. He also looked completely starved. The man was practically all bones, with hollowed cheeks and cracked lips. His eyes were squeezed shut and his arms were trying to shield himself from the swordsman.

Zoro didn't know what to do. The man obviously was in terrible shape. The slow dripping of water snapped him out of his shock, and he stood up and quickly went over to the dripping water, holding out his hands into a bowl shape to catch what water he could, before hurrying back.

"Oi. Look, _water_." Zoro said to the man, who continued to tremble. Zoro frowned before holding the water above the man's head and letting it drip down onto his face. The man's eyes opened in surprise, looking at the water before landing on the swordsman frowning down at him. The man still seemed frightened but shuffled slightly to where the water was dripping onto his lips, though his wide eyes stayed locked on Zoro. When the water ran out, Zoro repeated this two more times before the man slowly pushed himself up into a seated position, his head still hanging slightly to the side.

"Can you talk?" Zoro asked. The man opened his mouth and coughed.

"Yeah." He finally responded, though his voice sounded raw, unused. He tried to lick his lips, getting used to the movement.

"Got a name?"

"Sanji."

"That's a stupid name." Zoro scoffed, and Sanji's eyes widened slightly. "Well you seem lucid enough. I'm traveling with a doctor; I can have you looked at and maybe get some food in you before we leave. Looks like whoever locked you up here is long gone, so guess today's your lucky day."

"You have food?" Sanji asked, his expression suddenly turning from fear to something almost unhuman. Zoro raised his eyebrows, watching the man.

"Yeah, if you're good." He warned, then without prompt, grabbed him and tossed him lightly over his shoulder, marveling at how light the man was, weighing as little as a child despite his long legs and apparent height. Shocked by the abrupt movement, Sanji let out a strangled yelped and started clawing weakly at the swordsman's back in an attempt to get away.

"Hey, quit that. I'm not going to hurt you, dumbass. Just hold still. I'll get you some food." Zoro replied, barely feeling the scratches. After a moment, Sanji settled down, already tired from the effort.

"Are you just trying to trick me..?" Sanji asked, his breathing hard.

"No. I'll get you food. I promise. Just stop moving or I'm putting you back down... You want to stay here?"

"No…"

"Okay." Zoro sighed, wondering what mess he had gotten himself into already. It would've been so much easier to just leave the man here but knew he couldn't do that. He reached to grab the torch again.

"Wait."

"What now?"

"M-my book." Sanji muttered. Zoro looked over at the number of books strewn across the floor.

"You're insane if you're asking me to pick up all these shitty books. Some nerve you have for your savior."

"No, just one." Sanji raised his hand and pointed to a journal that had somehow escaped the cage, probably thrown, and was against the far wall. Zoro sighed but walked over and picked up the book, stuffing it into his haramaki before grabbing the torch and making his way back up the stairs.

"Thanks."

"Yeah yeah. You owe me a lot already…twirly brow."

"It's Sanji."

"I'm not calling you that. It's stupid."

"…Marimo."

"What?"

* * *

Of course, it was storming. Badly. Zoro carried the man over to the window of the main foyer and looked out, frowning as lighting flashed across the sky and the rain battered the already cracked windows. He had planned on heading back to the ship, even though Nami had given him explicit instructions to stay put, lest he get lost. He had hoped to get the man back to Chopper quickly but doubted someone in his shape could survive the storm on the long trek back.

The team had separated into groups once on the island. The entire place had looked abandoned, but they needed to restock some essentials. So, they split up to gather water, hunt food and guard the ship. Zoro's partner had been Nami, but after a misstep, he had sacrificed himself to prevent her from tumbling down a steep ridge. Having seen the mansion in the distance, she made him promise to meet her there, and to not move. It had been light out when they separated, but Nami warned him they might need to take shelter for the night.

He squinted out into the night, wondering if she had gotten herself caught in the storm.

Sanji's trembling suddenly intensified tenfold.

"H-hey! You okay?" Zoro asked, not sure what to do. "Shit…" He noticed a fireplace in one of the corners and walked over, setting the trembling man down in front of it before walking over and grabbing anything cloth he could find. Tablecloths, pillows, curtains, napkins. He carried them over and dumped them on the man, who sneezed immediately from the dust that rose out of them.

Zoro then smashed a few side tables and chairs for wood before dumping them in the fireplace and lighting it with his torch. After a moment, the wood caught and slowly light flickered through the room. Once satisfied that it wasn't going to go out anytime soon, he turned back towards Sanji. The man was still shivering. Zoro sighed and pulled off his coat, he felt fine himself, and wrapped that around the man as well before resuming his search of the building. He had seen a kitchen earlier but had dismissed it. Perhaps he could find something edible there.

He walked around a bit, trying to find the kitchen. He remembered it was on the first floor, but for some reason it took him quite a while to find it. He kept opening doors and finding closets, or dining rooms, or the laundry room. Finally, though, he found the kitchen, which was right next to the lobby.

The room was empty, as he remembered it. The room was quite big with a large counter in the middle of marble. The cabinets surrounding it were open and empty, with one hanging off its hinges. He glanced through all the cabinets though, trying to find anything remotely edible.

In the last cabinet, he thought he had finally found something edible, but it was only a bag of salt. He sighed, his search unfruitful. He was fine, he could survive for quite some time without food. But he didn't know how long his new companion had gone without eating.

Figuring it was better than nothing for now, he grabbed an empty jar and brushed it off before creaking one of the windows open carefully and sticking his arm out to get some rainwater to drink. He drank some for himself then let the bowl refill before heading back to the lobby to check on Sanji.

The room had warmed up slightly, but not nearly enough due to its size. Sanji had slumped over slightly in his sleep. Zoro crouched down in front of the man and started slapping his cheek lightly.

"Oi, swirlybrows, wake up. I have some more water." Zoro said, and when there was no response, he shook the man's shoulder. It took a moment but Sanji's eyes slowly peeled open and he immediately jerked back away from Zoro, so fast his head banged against the pillar.

"Hey, calm down. You're fine. Here, water." Zoro winced at Sanji's head, but figured he was probably okay. Sanji took a moment to remember the man in front of him, staring at him cautiously before lowering his eyes to the water. His expression changed again and his hands eagerly raised to take the bowl. As he grabbed at it though, the trembling in his arms nearly caused him to spill the water. Zoro cursed and held the bowl steady.

"Shit… look, I'll do it. Just sit there." Zoro sighed again, wondering why he was the one cursed at becoming this man's nursemaid. But, he fulfilled his duties and reached over and grabbed the back of Sanji's neck to hold his head firm, then raised the bowl to his lips. He first poured the water into the man's mouth, but that caused Sanji to break into a fit of coughs before Zoro realized he was drinking too fast. So, then he tried again, very slowly tipping the bowl and it seemed to help. When the bowl was finished, Zoro set it aside and sat back on his haunches.

"Thanks." Sanji whispered, but curled up once again, hunching over himself.

"What's wrong now?" Zoro asked.

"Food?"

"Shit. Yeah. Haven't found that yet." Zoro sighed, looking once again at the storm outside, calculating. It still seemed like a terrible idea to try to find the ship dragging a nearly dead man around with him. He could've sworn he saw a bit of hail banging against the glass as well. He weighed his options for a moment then looked back at the man.

"Hey."

"…yes?"

"Don't die." Zoro said as he stood up and faced the door. He would have to hunt. The storm didn't scare him, but it did worry him. It would be hard to find any animals to eat in the dark, and the storm would have them in hiding as well. He also pondered if he'd be able to find his way back to the mansion. But, it seemed like he had no other choice.

He stepped towards the door when he felt something curl weakly around his ankle. He looked over at Sanji, who was looking even paler than usual.

"What?" Zoro asked, glaring down at the man. Sanji released his grip slowly, but didn't speak, staring up at the swordsman. He sighed and crouched down again to be eye level with the man.

"Look, I'm just going to get us some food. I'll come back. I promise. Be a man."

Sanji's head nodded slightly, but he looked away from Zoro and hugged his legs, turning his eyes back to the fire.

"Jeez, like a kid." Zoro frowned but then reached over and patted Sanji's head once before quickly standing and turning back towards the door. He paused a moment more, reaching into his haramaki and retrieving Sanji's journal and tossing it on the floor next to the man. He then headed out into the rainy night, the closing of the main door echoing through the halls.

* * *

Finding some meat was easier than expected, having come across a burrow within a few minutes of leaving the mansion. The problem was that he had been having trouble finding the way back. The wind was harsh and constantly blowing rain in his face, so he was quite sure he had passed the same outcropping of rocks three times.

After circling several times though, he finally made out a wisp of smoke in the dark sky. He locked onto it and ran straight ahead.

Within moments he was back at the run-down mansion, its large form looming before him. He sighed in relief and grabbed the large metal handle and shoved it open. He was hit immediately with the warm arm circulating the room and he looked over to see a shadow blocking out some of the light from the fire. He walked over to the figure and palmed his head, shoving him backwards.

"If you're going to kill yourself, fires a nasty way of going. I'd be happy to lop your head off." Zoro growled at the man, glaring down at him as the rain slowly dripped off his form onto the ground. The drops close to the fire sizzled away. Sanji stared up at the man, eyes wide. He stared for a moment before a tear dropped down his cheek.

"Are you…crying now?!" Zoro asked, panicking. He already felt incredibly uncomfortable and unqualified for this situation without the emotional quotient added.

"S-sorry…" Sanji croaked, dropping his head down into his hand and shaking his head. Zoro huffed.

"Well, I brought you food. But I've got to cook it first, so just hang in there." He kicked off his wet shoes next to the fire to dry before plopping down onto the ground and pulling out a few squirrels. He quickly got to work, skinning the fur off them.

Sanji lifted his head at the smell, and before he knew it, had managed to craw his way over and reach for one of the animals. Zoro grabbed the man's forehead though and shoved him back.

"Stop that. If you eat it now, you're going to get sick. I know you're hungry but hold on. I'm going as fast as I can." Zoro growled at the man before turning back to his prey. He skewered the animals on some pieces of broken wood then held them over the fire to cook. The push hadn't detoured Sanji, and he slid up next to Zoro and the fire, watching the animals cook, though he kept his hands at his sides.

Zoro looked over at the man warily, making sure he wouldn't do something stupid like shove his hands into the fire.

Sanji looked back, raising his eyebrows.

"You look like an idiot…" Zoro muttered before turning back to the flames.

"…Marimo."

"The hell did you just call me?" Zoro glared over at the man, before realizing that there was something resembling a smile on his face for a moment before it faded back away. Zoro huffed again and scowled at the fire, waiting for their food to cook.

* * *

When Zoro thought the meat looked cooked enough to eat, he pulled it from the fire to the wide-eyed expression of the man beside him.

"Alright, can you handle it this time?" Zoro asked, still holding it out of the man's reach. Sanji nodded, his eyes focused only on the meat. Zoro looked a bit doubtful, but also didn't want to constantly be spoon feeding the man. So, he decided to chance it and handed over the meat.

Sanji snatched the meat quicker than Zoro thought possible for a man as weak as he seemed and started shoving it into his mouth, eating it with barely chewing. Zoro watched with slight disgust. He was used to Luffy eating like a maniac, but there was something in Sanji's expression, something feral. He put his own meat behind his back, a little worried his own food would disappear just as quickly.

Sanji even licked all the remnant juice from his fingers and looked around, as if searching for something else to eat. He spied the end of Zoro's food and his fingers twitched, but when he caught Zoro's eye, he looked away quickly. Zoro held out his food towards the man, offering it. Sanji hesitated for only a second before taking it and eating it quickly, messily shoving his long hair out of the way. Zoro leaned back, watching the man. He was hungry, sure, but he'd survive a day without food.

When Sanji was finished eating, Zoro threw the remaining sticks into the fire and made sure Sanji was properly covered before leaning back against the pillar for a quick nap.

* * *

Zoro awoke to the sounds of retching. He sprung up at the unusual sound, hand on his sword. Sanji was a few meters away from the fire, huddled over himself and shuttering as everything came up out of his stomach onto the dusty floor. Zoro hurried over and caught the man before he fell face first into his own vomit.

"The hell…" Zoro frowned at the scene. He was sure that he had cooked the meat well, so he didn't understand why Sanji had thrown it all up. Whatever was happening couldn't be good though. All his effort to help the man just went out the window. He cursed and wiped Sanji's mouth with the tablecloth and winced at how his long hair had dragged into the vomit. He pulled out his sword and with a quick cut, chopped off a majority of the man's hair, leaving it at chin length.

He looked out the window. It was still raining, and there was the occasional flash of lightning, but the storm seemed to have lost most of its power. Sanji was starting to shiver and sweat in Zoro's arms, so the swordsman decided he would probably have to chance taking him to the ship. He had no medical knowledge and his little effort seemed to only harm the man more.

Zoro glanced around him and took stock of the situation. With the rain as it was, the torch would be useless. But that also robbed them of a source of heat as well.

He grabbed his coat from Sanji's shoulders and put the man's arms through the sleeves before tying it with his sash tightly around the man's thin waist. He then tied the few tablecloths around the man as well and a cloth napkin over the man's head. After doing so, he grabbed his swords and stuffed the man's journal in his haramaki before gently setting the man draped over his shoulder, so he'd have an arm free if needed. He opened the main door of the mansion and stared out into the dark night, recalling Nami's advice she pounded into his head every time she had a chance. _'If the island is small and you get lost, just find the coastline and follow it until you see our ship.'_

That sounded simple enough.

"Hang in there…"He dashed out into the storm.

* * *

Fortunately, this time around luck was on his side. Though they were still drenched by the time they found the shoreline, a couple fortunate turns and fifteen minutes later Zoro was staring out at the dark deep ocean before him. He peered in both directions, leaving it to fate whichever direction he took. His gut told him to go to the right. He always followed his gut. Sanji was nearly ice cold on his shoulder. He frowned and turned left.

* * *

When he finally saw the ship in the distance, Zoro picked up his speed and ran for the ship. The rain was finally letting up but their clothes were still soaked through.

Usopp spotted them first from the Crow's Nest and shouted out to the others who came out just as the rain stopped. Zoro didn't wait for them to let down the plank and instead jumped up onto the ship.

"This is a first… Zoro actually made it back on his own." Usopp wondered, as he gathered with the other crew members on the deck and took in his wet form.

"Is that…a man?" Nami asked, her hand over her mouth as walked over, wincing as she caught a whiff of the smell.

"We were supposed to meet at the mansion." Zoro glared at her accusingly before searching for Chopper with his eye. "We need a doctor, quickly."

"I ended up running into the others, and I figured you'd be fine." Nami replied, pinching her nose. "Who is that?"

"Is he dead…?" Luffy asked, poking Sanji's side.

"Almost." Zoro replied as Chopper came out, looking distressed. He immediately brushed past the wondering eyes of the others and followed Chopper into the infirmary with everyone following close behind.

"Where did you find him, Swordsman-san?" Robin asked, looking him over as well, but keeping a distance as Zoro placed him down on one of the cots and Chopper immediately started checking his pulse and vitals.

"In one of the cells in the basement of that mansion. Poor bastard was locked up, probably abandoned when the owners high tailed it out of here."

"How terrible!" Nami gasped.

"Wait, if he was in prison, doesn't that mean he's a criminal?" Usopp asked, frowning.

"Well we aren't exactly on the right side of the law either…" Nami noted, frowning as well, "But… he's been through a lot. We can at least get some food in him. It's not like he's in any shape to harm us."

"True… what do you think, Captain?" Usopp and the others turned to Luffy, who flashed them a smile.

"He can't be that bad if Zoro saved him." Luffy replied, patting his first mate on the arm. Zoro looked slightly embarrassed and glared at his captain.

"Well I couldn't just leave a starving man to die!"

"Aw, Zoro's just a big softy." Usopp added, but quickly stepped behind Luffy when the swordsman turned his glare towards him.

"Are you sure he's alive? He's nothing but bones, like me!" Brook said as he gazed at the man. Chopper had adorned a clothespin on his sensitive nose and had started cutting the soiled clothes off him.

"Yes, but he's in bad condition." Chopper said as he tossed the old clothes into the waste basket.

"How bad?" Luffy asked, taking in the clearly visible ribs of the man's chest.

"Pretty bad… I'll need to do a thorough examination though to know well. Uh… but it's a bit crowded in here." Chopped said as Usopp leaned over the deer to get a better look as well. Taking that cue, they shuffled one by one out of the room, asking for updates whenever they were possible. Franky patted Zoro's shoulder as the man had stayed leaning against the wall, staring down at the Sanji, and he gestured towards the door. Chopper noticed and stopped Zoro at the door as he was leaving, however.

"Zoro, sorry could you help? We should get him cleaned up. And you can tell me what happened." Chopper suggested. The look Zoro gave the deer showed that he did indeed mind and would prefer to do anything else, rather than washing a grown man.

"O-oh! Don't worry, I'll wash him. I just need you to help hold him or turn him over." Chopper explained, waving his hooves. Zoro frowned. That wasn't much better, but doable. He sighed and rolled up his sleeves.

"Fine. Just do it quickly."

Franky smiled slightly and shut the door behind him as he went out.

* * *

After getting Sanji clean and in fresh clothing, also complimentary of Zoro's meager wardrobe, Chopper went about trying to get some more liquids into his system. He put in an IV and checked all his vitals again while hearing what had happened from Zoro. He explained to the swordsman that it was probably good that Sanji had thrown the meat up, since feeding him something solid and so much of it so quickly could actually harm someone who was starving.

"O-oh but you did a good job though! Don't worry about it! You didn't know!" Chopper exclaimed, seeing the look on Zoro's face when he realized he had actually hurt rather than helped the starving man. Zoro just shook his head and went out to get some exercising done while Chopper monitored Sanji's progress.

However, he was unable to get even his stretching done as he bombarded with questions as soon as he left the infirmary. They asked where he was found, how was he found, did he say anything? Annoyed, but also knowing that they wouldn't let up, Zoro went into the dining room and grabbed a bottle of liquor before sitting down at the table. The others had followed gladly and settled themselves down in various parts of the room. After taking a swig, Zoro finally recounted everything that had happened, which wasn't much in his eyes. He wasn't one to embellish a story, and the whole thing only took a couple minutes. Then the questions came.

"Did he talk to you? Did he say where he was from?"

"What's his name?"

"How long was he down there?"

"Why was he locked in a cell?"

Zoro rubbed his forehead.

"I don't know. His name is something stupid… what was it.. a number.. uh, _Sanji_. All he said was he wanted food." Zoro shrugged. "Ask him yourself when he wakes up."

"Hmm… and there was no one else down there with him? No other prisoners?" Brook inquired.

"Nope, just him and his books." Zoro said, suddenly remembering the item safely tucked into his haramaki. He fished it out and placed it on the table. Everyone suddenly leaned forward to get a good look at it.

"A journal! Perfect!" Nami reached over to take it as everyone crowded around. She cracked it open and a paper fell out of it. Franky reached down and picked it up.

"Is this—oh, its just… a recipe for mushroom soup." He said, sounding disappointed. Nami frowned and looked back at the book. She turned the page, then another.

"These are all.. just recipes." She noted, flipping through all the way towards the end of the book. "How boring…"

"He's a cook!" Luffy realized, his face brightening. "We have a cook, finally!"

"Now wait Luffy, we don't know anything—"

"Hurray! No more potato soup!" The captain exclaimed.

"Hey, you said you liked that." Usopp scowled at the captain who just shrugged, grinning.

"Well, I suppose it would be nice to have an actual cook on our ship." Robin added, smiling.

"What good is a cook if he can barely move?" Zoro asked.

"We'll just wait for him to get better." Luffy replied.

"We aren't a hospital, Luffy." Zoro shot back.

"Then you should have left him there, Zoro." Luffy responded, still smiling and knowing he had his first mate beat. Zoro scowled and took another swig of his drink.

They spent the evening chatting amongst themselves, surmising what kind of person this new shipmate was, and what possible crimes he could have committed. Zoro eventually tuned them out, his mind wandering from the conversation. Though the others seemed oddly optimistic, he couldn't help but worry if the man would survive even the night.

* * *

Zoro was on watch that night, after insisting he was fine. He had gotten plenty of rest after a long nap in which they were waiting to see if Sanji would wake up. He had been stretching his legs when he heard a strangled sound and crashing coming from the infirmary. He cursed to himself as he ran for the door, wondering if they had indeed underestimated their new guest and had just put their doctor in danger. He threw open the door and stormed in, hand on his sword.

Sanji was awake, as he had expected, but wasn't attacking anyone. The man, who looked like a completely different person now that he was washed and shaved, was curled up on the corner of his cot, pressing his back against the wall, his eyes wide with fear.

Chopper was holding up his hooves in front of himself, trying to calm the man down.

"It's okay… I'm Chopper, the ship's doctor." The deer said in a low, soothing tone. There was a bottle smashed on the ground and the IV that had been in place looked to have been ripped from Sanji's arm.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Zoro asked, as he looked over at the man, catching his eye. Recognition flashed in Sanji's eyes.

"Marimo…" He muttered, his hand lifting slightly in the man's direction before dropping back onto the bed. Zoro scowled back at him.

"He ripped out his IV…" Chopper said, gesturing to the tube that lay abandoned on the floor, and the mark on Sanji's arm where it had been forcefully removed.

"Then just put it back in."

"I can't. He won't let me get near him." Chopper said, frustrated, tears gathering in the corner of his eyes.

"Want me to hold him down?"

"Please… but can you do it gently? Convince him I'm just trying to help..?" Chopper asked, obviously distressed.

"Fine." Zoro walked over to the man. "Why are you being such a wuss? He's trying to help you."

"What is _that_..?" Sanji asked once Zoro was standing in between the two. His eyes kept flickering to the side as if trying to make sure the deer hadn't snuck up on him.

" _That_ is a doctor. Now, give me your arm. Or no food." Zoro threatened.

"N-no Zoro, you'll scare him again!" Chopper cried, grabbing his leg. He stared, however, as Sanji immediately held out his arm for Zoro to take.

"There, now stick it in." Zoro ordered the doctor, who quickly scrambled to put the IV back into the man's arm.

"There! All done!" Chopper announced and Zoro let go of Sanji's arm. The man curled up again but didn't pull at the tube.

"Good. Now, listen to Chopper. He's trying to save your life." Zoro scolded, and Sanji dropped his head down to knees and hugged them to his chest.

"Wow… you're amazing!" Chopper said as he gave Zoro a look of admiration at his handling of the situation.

"He's just like a child… How old are you anyway?" Zoro asked him. Sanji peeked out from his knees.

"…Not sure… around 21?" Sanji replied.

"That's my age…. You look like a teen excited he was able to grow some facial hair."

"….At least I can grow facial hair."

"What?!" Zoro glared and grabbed Sanji's head, causing Chopper to jump up.

"C-careful Zoro! He's still very weak!" Chopper pleased. Zoro glared down at the man who met his gaze steadily. He then ruffled his hair roughly in retaliation. Sanji's shoulders started shaking and Zoro pulled his hand away, worried he might have harmed him in some way.

"Wait… are you laughing?" Zoro asked, unamused as they witnessed Sanji trying to hide a large grin on his face.

* * *

The next few days were a mixture of amusement for some and aggravation for others. Sanji wasn't the easiest of patients. It was hard enough trying to keep him from overeating and keep his body working well, when he also freaked out at every person that entered the room. Well, almost every person. He seemed okay with both Nami and Robin, if a bit skittish. He wouldn't listen to them, but he also wouldn't lash out or hide from them either. Brook was banned completely, and the other guys had to be cautious around him. Zoro seemed like the one exception, however, and this amused the others to no end.

"He's like a baby duck that follows his mother." Nami teased one evening as they sat around the dinner table eating potato soup for the thousandth time.

"It's rather cute, isn't it?" Robin added, smiling at the swordsman. He glared at them both.

"It's stupid. Why's he only clinging to me anyway? I'm sure as hell not being all buddy buddy with him." Zoro questioned, looking at the doctor for answers. Chopper shrugged.

"I'm not sure.. but maybe it has to do with the fact that you were the one who saved him."

"If he wanted to show his appreciation, he'd leave me the hell alone."

"To be fair…" Usopp butted in, "He's not exactly… _nice_ to Zoro either. Just obedient."

"Heh, I probably intimidate him." Zoro grinned.

"Maybe he knows Zoro's a big softy and would never hurt him." Luffy supplied, patting the swordsman's shoulder, who immediately turned red and slapped his captain's hand away.

"Like hell I am!"

* * *

After a week of nursing Sanji back, Chopper suggested that they start trying to talk with him one by one to get him used to the crew but also start to decipher how the man was doing mentally. Though Sanji listened well to Zoro, even if he did snark back at the man from time to time, he still refused treatment or food unless the swordsman was present. Chopper wanted to wean off his dependence on the swordsman and build trust with the others as well.

They decided to start with the women, since he seemed most tolerant of them compared to the others. Zoro acted as sort of the chaperone of the whole thing, though reluctantly. He pulled up a chair next to the bed and leaned back, closing his eye, hoping to get in a nap. Nami was first up and she closed the door behind her as Chopper exited and pulled up a stood next to the bed. Sanji eyed her warily, gripping the sheets.

"Hi, Sanji-kun. How was your day?" Nami asked, flashing him a smile. Sanji's face turned pink and he looked over at Zoro, who was trying to tune them both out.

"Sanji-kun, I'm over here." Nami continued, trying to catch his attention. "It's okay, I won't hurt you. Look, I got you a present!" She pulled out a tangerine from her pocket and offered it to the man. His eyes swiveled back towards the fruit. Zoro opened his eye.

"Hey. No food unless Chopper approves of it." Zoro ordered. Nami slowly looked over at the swordsman, her grin turning evil.

"Such a mother hen…. I already asked, one tangerine won't hurt your little chick." Nami replied, tossing it up and catching it, watching Sanji's eyes bob up and down as he followed the fruit.

"I'm not a mo—"

"Can I..?" Sanji asked, looking over at Zoro.

"Peel it first." Zoro directed, causing Nami to giggle. She placed the tangerine within Sanji's reach who snatched it quickly. He tried to get the peel off but was obviously struggling.

"Aren't you supposed to be a cook?" Zoro asked, snatching the tangerine out of the man's hands. Sanji's eyes widened and he looked at Zoro, forgetting about Nami's presence in the room.

"What?" He asked.

"Your journal. Full of recipes." Zoro replied. "Were you a cook before you were placed in that cell?" Sanji's eyes dropped and he shook his head.

"I just wanted to be…" He replied, playing with the button on his shirt.

"You know…" Nami jumped in, "That's the one thing our ship is missing, a cook." She snatched the tangerine back from Zoro and started peeling it herself. Sanji glanced up at her, his hair still covering most of his face.

"I'm not a cook…" He told her. Nami smiled at the man, pleased that he was actually speaking directly to her.

"You can be." She placed the peeled tangerine on the bed in front of him. He took it.

* * *

"I want to talk to him next!" Luffy said, as he opened the door and a worried Chopper followed after him.

"L-luffy! We're trying to start slow; Robin is next!"

"The captain should be first anyway!" Luffy responded, beaming into the room that Nami had exited earlier. Zoro opened his eye at the intrusion, once again awoken from his sleep. A tangerine peel slowly slid down his face, falling from its placement on the top of his head. He immediately glared at the man beside him, but Sanji's attention was on the devil-fruit user before him.

"Oi, Luffy. Just don't get too loud." Zoro told the captain before he dropped the peel into the trash and closed his eye again. Chopper fretted for a moment, frowning, but knew he couldn't win out over his captain. He stepped out and shut the door gently.

"Hey! So, I've decided, you're going to be our cook!" Luffy declared, plopping himself down onto the stool and grinning at Sanji. Sanji immediately reached over and gripped Zoro's sleeve for support. Zoro kept his eye firmly closed, trying his best to ignore the situation, hoping Sanji would deal with it on his own.

"I'm not a cook…" Sanji replied when he realized Luffy wasn't going to leave until he answered him.

"We have a really nice kitchen! It has a lot of pots and pans and knives and stuff!" Luffy explained. Sanji was showing a bit of interest in this.

"…Really?" Sanji asked.

"Yeah! And when you come with us, you can cook everything for us! All types of fish, and sharks!"

"You guys are pirates… right? Traveling the grand line…" Sanji had let go of Zoro's sleeve and his hand slid over to land protectively on his journal on the table beside his bed. His large boney hand was able to cover it entirely.

"I'm going to be king of the pirates! We're on an adventure to seek the One Piece!" Luffy said happily, his legs bouncing up and down as he sat cross-legged on the stood. Sanji's eyes widened slightly and he gripped his book tightly before pulling it into his lap and flipping it open.

"Have you heard… of the All Blue?" Sanji asked, flipping towards the back of his journal to a drawing of a sea full of fish.

"What's that?" Luffy asked, grinning curiously. Zoro, who had only been pretending to sleep the entire time, opened his eye, also a bit curious at the whole interaction. Sanji wasn't talkative at all that they'd seen. The most he'd talk was short questions or requests, and those were to Zoro himself. He watched as Sanji turned the book around so that Luffy could see, a small smile appearing on his face. It somehow made him seem younger and older at the same time. Like a childlike maturity.

"It's a sea… where all the waters gather. I've always wanted to see it…" Sanji admitted, "Think of all the things you could cook…"

"And eat! Wow, that's amazing! I want to go there too!" Luffy goggled at the drawing. Sanji lit up at his reaction.

"Right? It sounds really great!" Sanji's smile grew slightly, his voice stronger than it had been before.

"Let's go there together!" Luffy reached over and grabbed Sanji's hand, much to the man's surprise. He tensed up, his eyes sliding towards Zoro's. When he saw Zoro watching him, he quickly looked away and back to Luffy's hand. He took a deep breath.

"That… would be nice…" He replied, his voice shakier than it had been, but determined. Luffy looked ecstatic.

"We have a cook!" He shouted, "I'll show you the kitchen!" Luffy gripped the man's wrist and pulled him from the bed, to the other two's shock. Zoro acted quickly and grabbed Sanji around the waist before he toppled onto the floor. Sanji's hands had automatically latched to Zoro's arm, trying to support himself after spending so much time unable to walk properly.

"Luffy! Be careful, he's still recovering!" Zoro scolded, but the Captain laughed.

"He looks fine to me!" Luffy replied.

Sanji was leaning heavily on the swordsman but had found his footing. He hesitantly tested his thin legs, putting bit by bit of his weight on them. Zoro watched him, frowning. There was something in Sanji's expression. He didn't look defeated like he had before. Sanji slowly started to release his grip on Zoro's arm and the swordsman hesitated, wondering if he should let go of the cook. He let go. Sanji swayed slightly while he stood. Luffy flashed them a smile then bounded out of the door. Sanji moved to follow, slowly placing one foot in front of the other, as he paled slightly.

Zoro reached over and grabbed the back of Sanji's shirt and prodded him forward. Slowly, step by step, and leaning slightly against Zoro's hand, Sanji made it out onto the dock. He looked up, amazed.

The sky was bright and a deep blue with a scattering of big white fluffy clouds dancing across it. Below it, spanning endlessly, was the sparkling clear ocean. Sanji's shoulders scrunched up slightly and his head bowed. Zoro didn't say anything as the man quickly wiped a tear from his face before turning to follow Luffy.

* * *

Sanji was sweating by the time they reached the kitchen, and Zoro had to re-adjust his grip, now with one of Sanji's arms over his shoulder and his other practically holding him up by the waist.

"You're lucky you weigh less than a sack of rice, dartbrows."

"Marimo."

The kitchen had a few select crew members occupying the room, watching as they entered with interest. Chopper obviously had no idea that they were taking this little trip and had rushed over but stopped his doting with one look from Zoro. He stepped back to allow them to enter but kept a watchful eye on them in case something happened.

Robin and Franky were at the dining room table, having a short break of tea and cola. They watched with curiosity, but neither of them tried to barge in on the situation.

Luffy had hopped over the counter and over to the stove of the kitchen. He turned one of the knobs on the stove and a large flame shot into the air.

"Luffy! Don't touch that!" Zoro said, looking alarmed as Luffy turned on two more of the burners to show Sanji.

"And knives!" Luffy exclaimed as he reached for them. Alarmed with their captain's tenacity, Zoro practically tossed Sanji onto the counter as he chased after him.

An arm sprouted out of the stove, startling Sanji, and quickly turned off the burners before disappearing in a flutter of blossoms.

"Sorry to startle you, Cook-san." Robin apologized, smiling at the man. Another arm sprouted out on the counter in front of Sanji and held out a hand to him. "It's my devil-fruit ability."

Sanji stared at it for a moment then hesitantly reached over and took her hand.

"I suppose… there are a lot like you on the seas."

"And two more in front of you, and our musician as well." Robin said with a smile before taking a moment to explain the other's abilities. He was clearly impressed and saw soon what she was talking about as Luffy bounced around the room with the knives in his hands as Zoro tried to steal them back from their overzealous captain.

"H-how are you feeling…?" Chopper asked the cook, finally getting his courage back to approach the man without the swordsman's keen eye watching.

"I'm okay I think…. Um… sorry…" Sanji returned, looking a bit sheepish for how he had reacted around the deer.

"Oh, its okay, you piece of shit!" Chopper replied, smiling. Sanji looked a bit taken aback by the insult, but figured it was in the same vein as Zoro's snappy comments.

"Thank you, asshole." Sanji told the little deer, who also seemed a bit shocked at the words directed at him but smiled in return. Chopper climbed up onto the counter and sat himself near Sanji, and together they watched their captain and swordsman run with knives.


	2. Finding your strength

Sanji's mood had started to improve greatly after the talk with the Captain and after receiving his position as the ship's cook. He was still ruled too weak to start his new job yet, but Chopper found that he was gaining weight more quickly. He wasn't back to what Chopper considered normal yet, but it was a good development. Chopper attributed this change to Sanji's mindset, and after a talk with Luffy, allowed the captain to visit and work with Zoro to help the cook get better. They gradually started letting him out often to just walk around the ship and build up not just his muscles but also his relationship with the crew. He was still shy, but he no longer actively avoided them. He spent most of his time sitting in one of the chairs on the deck watching the other members, or occasionally in the kitchen, where he was permitted to observe the other members as they rotated in their own cooking duties. The man's face showed a great deal of disapproval at their cooking styles, but he never spoke it aloud unless it was Zoro's turn. Then he would blatantly speak his mind, trying to curve the man's cooking. Zoro never listened to him.

It had been a couple weeks when they arrived at the next island. It was good timing as their stocks had gotten low and everyone also wanted to stretch their legs from their long time at sea. Chopper had given the approval for Sanji to leave the ship, on the condition that he always be accompanied by someone. Zoro was voted for quickly, as he was the one that Sanji seemed closest to besides the captain and would also be able to drag him back to the ship if something happened to him. Nami was then put in charge of Zoro, to make sure the man didn't get them both lost.

Nami headed out with her own shopping list, Zoro and Sanji following behind. Sanji looked extremely excited and nervous at the same time, his eyes wide as he took in all the sights, smells and sounds of a bustling coastal town. It was almost overwhelming to the man, and he kept stopping when he saw something new, causing Zoro to stumble into him a few times and then whack the man on the head.

"Get it together, you look like a dazed idiot. Someone would have robbed you by now if you had any money." Zoro scolded as the cook had stopped once again to watch some children playing in the street.

"I see…" Sanji tore his eyes away from the kids and tried to walk while staring straight ahead but found himself stopping again as they made it to the market square that was filled with carriages and booths overflowing with every kind of fruit and vegetable, as well as a large variety of meats and fish. Before Zoro could scold him again though, a large smile flashed across Sanji's face and he turned towards the swordsman, beaming at him and grabbing his sleeve.

"Did you see? There's apples there… and apricots! Watermelon!" Sanji said as he pointed to each item while Zoro tried to pull his sleeve from the man's grip. Nami had noticed a lack of two shadows behind her and looked back at them. She couldn't help but smile a bit at Sanji's enthusiasm.

"Sanji-kun? Would you like to choose something?" She asked, feeling generous and offering him a little money.

"R-really? I can?" Sanji asked, bewildered.

"Of course. But this is all you're going to get, so use it wisely." She replied, handing him the money. He took it with both hands, fingering the inscription on the money before his face turned a bit red and he looked down and away.

"T-thank you Nami-san… You are such a kind and wonderful person…" He muttered, causing her to chuckle. Zoro rolled his eye and nudged the man with his elbow.

"Choose quickly, I'd like to get to the bar."

"The bar? Are you sure you should be taking him there? Wouldn't it be dangerous?" Nami asked, frowning.

"Only dangerous if we fight." Zoro shrugged.

"Hmm… well fine, I do want to shop for some clothes..." Nami pointed to the bar with a bright red sign on the same street. "Go to that one and stay there. I'll come and pick you two up when I'm finished. And really, keep an eye on him. He's a bit _naïve_ … and could get into a lot of trouble."

"We'll be fine—wait, where did he go?" Zoro asked, suddenly realizing that the man had slipped away while the two of them were discussing the arrangements. Both quickly looked around, but thankfully they caught sight of the cook's lean frame and bright blonde hair only a few meters away, listening to one of the venders talk his ear off.

"….If you lose him, I _swear_ ….I'll charge you so much money your ghost will still be paying me back…" Nami trailed off, narrowing her eyes at the swordsman.

"I won't lose him. He can barely walk." Zoro replied, glaring back at her before stomping off towards the cook.

Sanji was standing in front of a gruff old vender with a large cigar in his mouth, puffing at it. He held out his hand and Sanji placed the money he had just received from Nami into the old man's hands.

"Good deal." The old man said before handing Sanji a couple small boxes. Sanji stared at them with wonder.

"What's that?" Zoro asked, curious despite himself.

"Only the best tobacco on the island! My wife even hand rolls them each individually. How about you sir, would you like to buy some as well? I'll give you a good deal!"

"You bought cigarettes?!" Zoro asked, glaring at Sanji, who looked back at him innocently.

"He said they are very good and give you strength."

"You idiot… that's it, we're going to the bar and you're going to sit down and not talk to anyone." Zoro grabbed the collar of Sanji's shirt and dragged him to the bar.

* * *

Sanji sat properly beside Zoro at a booth in the bar, his hands wrapped around a cup of warm tea, as Chopper had requested that Sanji hold off on anything alcoholic until he was a bit stronger. He kept glancing around, taking in the colorful diversity of people there. Zoro was nursing a beer, leaning back, relaxed, but keeping his eye and ears open.

It was a good thing too, because after about an hour or so, a couple marines entered the bar for a drink. He didn't move and instead kept his eye on them.

"Zoro, look, it's some marines." Sanji said, pointing them out, seemingly helpfully. Zoro slowly turned his murderous gaze toward the cook, who smiled back.

"Zoro? Pirate-hunter Zoro?" Asked one of the marines, overhearing their conversation and looking over at the two. As their eyes locked, Zoro reached for his weapon while coincidingly aiming a well-placed kick at Sanji's hip, causing the man to flop over face down onto the seat of the booth. Now both marines were facing him, holding their guns steady in his direction as Zoro faced them down, side stepping slightly so that Sanji could remain unseen, hidden by the table.

"If you know my name, you must know my bounty. I won't be an easy catch." Zoro told the men, holding his swords before him.

"I don't know about that. I think you might be our easiest catch yet." Said a voice from behind him. In less than a moment, Zoro had half twisted to the side, one sword pointed towards the two marines at the door, and the other pointed at the new man that had snuck up behind him. He cursed, taking the man's appearance. He was obviously of higher rank, a lieutenant, but that wasn't what bothered Zoro. It was the fact that the man had his own gun pressed down against Sanji's temple, where he lay flat on the bench of the booth.

"Don't move." Zoro ordered, his eye flickering to the cook before landing back on the lieutenant.

"I don't think you should be giving orders." The lieutenant replied, cocking back the hammer on his gun, causing Sanji to flinch. "Now, be a good little pirate and put those swords down. You may be quick… but I can guarantee I can pull this trigger before you reach me."

Zoro cursed under his breath again, slowly setting his swords down, but still within grabbing distance, before standing back up and facing the lieutenant, eye narrowed as he thought of a solution. He was pretty sure he could fight his way out of this mess. The marines didn't look that impressive, especially if they were outposted here on this random island. He would have to get them to release Sanji though. The cook didn't have a bounty, so they would have no reason to hold him. Once Sanji was out of their hands, Zoro could strike. He watched as the lieutenant smirked at him then glanced to his companions behind Zoro and nodded his head.

Zoro felt something clamp around his upper arms and chest, pinning his arms to his side. He winced, the clamp was riddled with small jagged spikes, digging into his skin. He heard something that sounded like a dial clicking as the clamp tightened slightly. It was annoying, but he'd felt much worse. A second clamp was put around him, this time it fitted around his forearms and stomach, effectively preventing him from moving his arms at all. The same clicking noise followed.

He looked back at Sanji, who was staring back at him, fear in his eyes.

"Perfect, now let's get these two back to the base." The lieutenant said, digging the barrel of the gun into the side of Sanji's temple as a threat.

"Two? You're arresting civilians now too?" Zoro asked, glaring at the man.

"Civilians? He sure looks like an accomplice to me."

"He has nothing to do with me."

"We'll see about that." He grabbed a handful of Sanji's hair and pulled the man to his feet. "Not much of one, is he? Should be enough to keep you in line though. Walk boy, before I blow your brains to smithereens." He shoved Sanji forward, who stumbled into a table.

"I'm sorry…" Sanji said as he pushed himself up weakly. Zoro clenched his teeth, his anger rising. The lieutenant prodded Zoro's back and the group made their way out the back of the bar.

* * *

"Nice to be back home, eh?" Zoro asked as the two of them sat together in the dingy cell of the marine base. It looked old and rarely used. He wondered if they got many criminals in these parts, seeing as how the room was a bit dusty and there were even cracks around the sconce in the room. He leaned back against the wall, closing his eye. The clamps around his chest and waist were digging uncomfortably into his skin. He didn't know if it was his imagination or not, but it seemed like they were slowly getting tighter.

The whole situation was annoying, but they were both alright for now. It seemed the marines probably planned on using Sanji as their bargaining chip in the whole situation. The man was physically still unfit and mentally unprepared as well, an easy target. Zoro was sure they'd try to get information out of him, perhaps about their crewmates. Sanji didn't know much, but he knew enough.

Zoro would have to just figure a way out quickly, without using his arms or his swords, which had been taken from him. He assumed the other straw-hats would also come for them once they heard the news, but Nami probably wouldn't go the bar for a few more hours, and he didn't know if the rumors would spread to the others until then. If they decided to question Sanji before then, who knew what they would do to him.

He peered over at his quiet companion. Sanji had pretty much shut down. He was curled up in the corner and hadn't said a word since he had apologized in the bar. His face was obscured by his knees and though his breathing had seemed to steady out, he had nearly been hyperventilating earlier.

Zoro didn't blame Sanji for his weakness. He had seen the strides the man had taken to improve himself and was making a lot of progress. However, they had to be realistic, and Sanji was a dead weight to him now. That wouldn't do. There was no way that Zoro could pull off some sort of escape with so many handicaps. He needed help. He needed someone who wasn't bound like he was. He eyed the room for a moment before he noticed something.

"Oi… dumbbrows." Zoro prodded, using his feet to scoot a bit closer to the cook. There was no response. Zoro prodded at the man's thigh with his shoe. Sanji lifted his head slightly, looking at him with his one exposed and sorrowful looking eye.

"I'm going to need you to get a grip, alright? This is nothing. I've been in situations a thousand times worse than this. We can escape."

"Escape..?" Sanji whispered back, looking startled. "How could we possibly escape? These are marines… and you're useless now."

"Who is useless?!" Zoro asked, angry now.

"You don't have your swords and you can't use your arms…" Sanji replied seriously.

"That doesn't make me useless! Argh. Anyway, like I said, we're going to get out of here, and you've got to be the one to do it."

"W-what?! Me? What could I possibly do?"

"Look here, you're a straw hat now. We don't give up, no matter the circumstances. I don't give a shit if you're physically weak. We find a way. Look at Nami. No muscles but can hold her own." He scowled at that, realizing he was complimenting the woman.

"Doesn't Nami-san have a weapon though..?"

"And you've got me, which is way better than her even without my arms."

"I… I guess…" Sanji still didn't look very convinced. Zoro suddenly headbutted the man, causing Sanji to curse and grab his forehead in pain.

"Man up. This is serious now. You giving up means that you're not only giving up on yourself, but you're giving up on me too. That's a pretty shitty thing to do to a crewmate. Should I have Luffy revoke your title?" Zoro told him, glaring at him. Sanji dropped his hands from his forehead and stared back at the swordsman, at the man he owed his life to.

"I'm… I'm not strong like you…" Sanji muttered.

"Then become strong. Starting now. You survived in that god-forsaken cell for who knows how long. You have the will to live. Use that."

Sanji took a moment, contemplating Zoro's words. Finally, he bit his lip and nodded.

"Okay." He replied, the determination growing in his eyes.

"About time, you shit cook."

Sanji scowled at that nickname before pushing himself up.

"Should we try to get those bindings off first?"

"Nah, too tight for now. First we'll—"

"—try to break through the wall where the sconce is?" Sanji finished, and Zoro frowned, surprised the man had noticed the cracks.

"…Exactly. I can't use my arms but maybe I can get a few good kicks in." Zoro leaned back against the wall and tried to push himself to his feet without the use of his arms. The slick floor made it difficult, however, and he landed on his butt and let out a curse. Sanji watched, with a slightly amused look on his face.

"Need some help?"

"Your part comes next. I doubt those skinny arms of yours could do anything here." Zoro replied, this time rolling back and trying to get the momentum to jump to his feet.

"You look ridiculous." Sanji noted before crouching down beside the man and grabbing his arm. "On the count of three. One, two… three!" Using his legs, he pushed himself with all his strength, pulling Zoro up. It wasn't much help, but it was enough for Zoro to take it the rest of the way up. Now standing, Zoro walked over to the spot on the wall with the empty sconce that would normally hold a torch or candle of some sort that had been removed. Sanji reached up and pulled the sconce off, setting it aside. Where the sconce had been driven into the wall, there were large cracks that had probably grown over time.

"Alright, they'll probably hear it when the wall crashes, so be quick. Don't forget my swords. We'll go out the back. There's a hill there that leads into the forest. We'll go that way and circle around. Any questions?"

"Why are you bleeding?" Sanji asked, his eyes now on Zoro's arms.

"It's fine. Let's go." Zoro then kicked with all his might at the cracks in the wall. His power was undeniable, even without his swords, and with that one kick, a couple of the bricks fell. He tried kicking again, but the other bricks were more stable. Sanji took this as his cue and walked over to the hole in the wall. It was small. Very small. And high.

"Come here." He ordered his companion and he without notice pushed Zoro towards the wall. The swordsman stumbled from his lack of balance and landed on his face. Sanji used Zoro's body as leverage and pushed himself up to the hole. It was small, but Sanji had a lean frame. He pushed himself through the hole, pulling through the other side, his shoulders scraping the sides and ripping his shirt. But, he made it through.

"Shithead." Zoro muttered, now back on the floor and feeling the blood run down his arms as the bindings grew tighter. He then sat himself up and tried to listen. He had thought the guards would come running right away, but maybe their cell was far enough that they hadn't heard anything. He waited. And waited. Then he heard voices. Zoro scooted to the bars of the cell and tried peering out. A few minutes when by and then Sanji appeared again, panting and holding some keys in his hand. With a shaking hand, he opened Zoro's cell.

"I found this knife, and a few of our things, but I didn't see your swords anywhere." Sanji explained, holding up a small dagger.

"Shit. Didn't see any guards?"

"There's one in the next room, but he's wasted." Sanji grabbed the man and pulled him to his feet in a rapid movement, hyped up on adrenaline. There were footsteps and voices starting to get louder and coming their way.

"We'll come back for them once we've regrouped then." Zoro decided, just as the door to their right opened. The marine that opened it looked shocked to see them out and about and immediately started shouting for his friends as he pulled his gun. Sanji and Zoro made a dash for the opposite end of the hall, running past the drunk marine and for the door as a few gunshots rang out. Sanji quickly opened the door and they stumbled out.

"You said there was a hill here, Marimo." Sanji said as he skidded to a stop at the base of what he would have considered a cliff.

"It's a _steep_ hill." Zoro replied.

"Fitting… that the one who saved me is the one who is going to get me killed." Sanji stated before they both dove down. Without the use of his arms, Zoro was unable to control his body as it slid down the hill, smacking into trees and bushes. He remembered seeing Sanji grab his shirt before everything went black.

* * *

Zoro woke up to two things: the dull and constant pain around his torso and the feeling of someone tugging on his cheek. His eye flashed open to see a certain blonde way too close to his face.

"Get the hell off me." He growled and Sanji grinned back and let go of the man's cheek.

"Good to see you alive Marimo." He seemed genuinely relieved and sat back, running a hand through his messy hair that was full of leaves.

"How long was I out?" Zoro asked, sitting up and feeling the bindings clench tighter around his torso. He winced. "Fuck…" Sanji seemed to remember something and fished a key out of his pocket.

"Hold still, I get that off." The cook scooted over to reach the dial on the back of the device around Zoro's upper body. He slid the key in and heard a satisfying click before carefully unwinding the clamp from Zoro's chest, careful to pull the spikes straight out. One the device was off, little rivers of blood flowed out from all the cuts around his chest and upper arms.

Sanji moved to the second device, the one surrounding Zoro's lower arms and stomach. He put the key in and turned it. It didn't move. He frowned and turned it the other direction. Nothing. He turned it back and forth.

"…. Shit…." Sanji pulled the key out and looked at it before looking back at the serrated clamp around Zoro's stomach. The dial ticked and got tighter, digging further into his arms. Zoro kept a steady face.

"…You only grabbed one key?" Zoro asked, looking over his shoulder, looking very unpleased.

"I thought there would only be one… they're the same device…" Sanji muttered, gripping his hair is distress.

"Way to use your brain, dumbbrows. How am I supposed to go back and get my swords looking like this?"

"I'm so sorry—" Sanji started, his hands trembling, but paused as he caught the look in Zoro's eye. He remembered. He shook his head and met the swordsman's eyes again. "It's your own damn fault for not being clear. If you knew there'd be two keys, you should've said something. Or better yet, got them yourself. But no, your weakass got yourself tied up and practically useless."

Zoro couldn't help the proud little smirk that appeared on his face.

"Because a certain someone was about to get their head blown off…"

"Because a certain other someone didn't notice someone walk up behind us." Sanji reached over and grabbed the edge of Zoro's coat and used the knife to cut off the end of it for a makeshift bandage that he wrapped awkwardly around the cuts around Zoro's chest from the first device. They didn't look too bad, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"It's getting dark… I doubt they'd risk coming after us at night when they know they have my swords and the other key. They'll probably wait for us there."

"Shouldn't we go back right away?" Sanji asked, his eyes flickering towards the toothed clamp around Zoro.

"Not until we have a plan. I can't exactly muscle my way through and they'll be on too much of a high alert for you to sneak around."

Sanji nodded grimly and then pushed himself up and simply walked off, hands in his pockets. Figuring he was off to use the bathroom, Zoro examined the clamp once again. It seemed to tighten on a regular basis, but he hadn't been paying enough attention to know how long it was in between. Each time it seemed to tighten about a centimeter, and it had progressed enough that he couldn't feel his hands anymore. He experimented with them. They still moved at his command, but he didn't feel anything from them.

He thought it would probably be best if they could get the key right away, but it also seemed like a suicide mission. They just weren't prepared. The clamp would slow him down tremendously and he'd only be able to kick or body slam into people, and that could potentially throw him off balance. They had a knife, but even if he used it with his mouth, it was too short to be effective.

There was another option. It might hurt, but if he pushed hard enough with his arms, he might be able to break the device using his own strength. With Sanji gone, he figured it was the best time to try. Zoro took in a deep breath then pushed outwards with his arms with all his might, the serrated edges of the clamp dug deep into his forearms. He grunted as the dull pain from before came to the forefront and with a click the clamp tightened once more. He slumped over, feeling lightheaded. Fresh blood dripped down his arms. With a frustrated grumble, he flopped onto his side and closed his eye. He would just take a nap and get his strength back.

* * *

Zoro woke up this time to the smell of meat, which confused him at first and he had to take a moment to remember where he was and what had happened. He was laying on his back and there were a pair of shoes under his head. He sat up too quickly and squinted as the blood rushed through his body. It was dark out, but he could make out a glowing yellow blob before him. It slowly took shape and what he saw honestly surprised him. Sanji was sitting next to a small fire, and there were two sticks with meat roasting on them. The cook was peeling the skin off a fruit of some kind, barefoot.

Sanji glanced over at the man.

"Hungry?" He asked as a long spiral peel dropped off the fruit. He tossed it into the fire before cutting the fruit into smaller pieces. Zoro stared at the man.

"You know how to hunt?" He asked, unable to ignore his curiosity. Despite their being together for a while now, the crew had never dug into Sanji's past. It seemed like an unspoken rule between them, everyone's past was their own business. The fact that Sanji had been found in an abandoned cell itself promised some sort of intriguing story, but they respected one another enough to keep their curiosities to themselves. Zoro didn't know anything about the man before him, other than what he had seen on the surface.

"I learned when I was a child." Sanji said, but his voice held a hint of bitterness in it. "Came in handy." When Zoro raised an eyebrow at that, Sanji elaborated. "Rats. But they left too when there was nothing for them to eat."

Seeing as how Zoro couldn't use his hands, Sanji had to reached over and shove the fruit into Zoro's mouth, much to the swordsman's humiliation. He also at this time realized that the blood on his arms had also been cleaned away. He wasn't enjoying the current reversal of roles, but at least appreciated the fact that the cook wasn't blatantly pointing it out.

"Can't imagine it was much meat." Zoro replied once he had swallowed his food.

"Too fuzzy." Sanji joked lightly as he checked the roasting meat that had already been skinned. Finding it thoroughly cooked, he held up one of the sticks to Zoro's mouth. He chomped down on it, grabbing it in one bite. Sanji took his own and started eating as well, his eyes turning up towards the star filled sky.

They finished their food and sat in a comfortable silence for a while before Sanji pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it.

"Want one? It's supposed to make you strong." Sanji said with a grin, pulling out a cigarette. Zoro rolled his eye, wondering why he had for a moment thought the man before him had become somewhat mature.

"Those things will kill you."

"Oh goody." Sanji lit the cigarette from the fire and placed it into his mouth, taking a deep breath. He immediately broke down into a fit of coughs.

"Idiot."

"Wow… that's awful…" Sanji muttered between coughs.

"Wake me up when it's morning." Zoro said, scooting back against a tree and leaning against it. He closed his eye and sighed. It was too dark to do anything. He figured in the morning they'd just have to meet up with the other straw hat pirates and work as a team to get everything back. His brow furrowed just thinking about it. He hated being useless, and normally he would have probably stormed in there on his own anyway. But with Sanji with him… who ironically was taking care of him now, it was another story.

* * *

This time when Zoro woke up, he was in immense pain. The clamp must've clicked tighter several times during his sleep, and he was practically panting as he looked down and noticed the odd colors his hands were changing. This wasn't good. He looked up and noticed the sun straight above him. His mind went immediately to the cook, wondering why the man hadn't woken him up much sooner. But the cook was nowhere in his sight. The fire from the night before had been snuffed out and the shoes gone. The only remnants of the cook were now a large amount of cigarette buds. Several of them were scattered in a line, as if the cook had been pacing back and forth.

Zoro was angry the man hadn't woken him up sooner, but figured he was out hunting again. He waited. And waited. Zoro's breath was getting heavy and he was sweating. Had the cook abandoned him? His gut told him that couldn't be the case. Either way, Zoro was a sitting duck out here. He used the back of the tree to give himself leverage and he managed to stand up. He swayed, blood now steadily dripping down, soaking his coat and pants. He'd go back on his own and worry about the cook later. He'd find the shoreline and follow it like before.

He took a step and swayed again. Another step, he toppled over onto his face. Cursing, he rolled over onto his back. The edges of his vision were blurry.

"Zoro!"

He was even hearing things.

"Zoro! Where are you?"

And they were getting louder.

"Zoro!"

It was so loud and annoying.

" _Zoro_! I found him! Chopper! Over here!"

Before Zoro could say anything, he was roughly shoved over onto his stomach and he heard a distinct click before the pressure around his torso immediately was released.

"Hey bro, you doing alright?" Franky asked as he stepped in front of the swordsman, pulling him up so that Chopper could jump in and start examining him.

"-the hell happened…?" Zoro muttered, already feeling claustrophobic as he was surrounded by half of the crew.

"Sanji-kun told us you were out here about to get your arms chopped off." Nami explained, twirling the key around her finger as she kicked the weird clamp away.

"Where is he?" Zoro asked, frowning. "Is he alright?"

"A little banged up, but he's okay. We arrived before anything bad happened." Franky said, reaching over to help the swordsman who smacked his hand away and stood on his own. He flexed his hands, feeling the blood rush through them, an odd sensation. He frowned, wanting to know what happened, but at the same time not wanting to sound like he was _worried_.

"He's your little chick for sure, the idiot went to get the key by himself." Nami said, rolling her eyes and poking Zoro harshly in the chest. "He could've gotten himself killed, all because you couldn't take a couple pathetic marines."

Zoro was indignant.

"They held him hostage!"

"And yet it was him that went back to get the key to save your pathetic self. Maybe Luffy should make him first mate instead…"

"I was afraid they'd—"

"Oh, _afraid_?"

"Shut up!" Zoro's face was slightly red now and he glared at them all angrily. Deciding it best to not dignify them with any more answers, he huffed and started walking back, ignoring the giggles from behind.

* * *

When they had arrived back at the boat, Zoro was ushered into the infirmary for some disinfectant and bandages by Chopper who wouldn't take no for an answer. He was happy to see that they had retrieved his swords and they laid safe on the deck of the Thousand Sunny.

When he trailed after Chopper into the room, they were greeted by the cook who was taking up the bed, sitting up with his journal in his lap. He had been patched up but didn't seem to have any serious wounds and sported just a few bandages and a black eye. He raised his hand but wasn't able to get a word out before Zoro grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the wall. Sanji stared back, startled, and Chopper yelped, grabbing onto his leg.

"Z-zoro! What are you doing?!" Chopper asked, alarmed.

"Give us a minute." Zoro ordered, his eye never leaving Sanji's. Chopper swallowed and looked between the two worriedly, but finally nodded and stepped out of the room, closing the door with a gentle click.

"What the hell is your problem, cook?" Zoro snarled at the man, jerking the man forward and back again. Sanji's head banged against the wall and he winced.

"What?"

"You know the hell _what_."

"You're welcome." Sanji replied, maintaining eye contact with the swordsman. Zoro's fist smashed into the wall where Sanji's head was before the cook swiftly moved it.

Hearing the noise, Chopper quickly reentered the room and panicking, tried to pull Zoro away from the now grinning cook.

* * *

"Ah, Cook-san looks very happy, doesn't he? How cute." Robin remarked as she and Nami sat at the bar, overseeing Sanji's first time allowed to cook all on his own.

"Robin-chan! Nowhere near as cute as you lovely ladies~" Sanji replied with a large grin over to the two as he sat two large pink drinks in front of the them before returning to a pan simmering on the fire.

"Let's hope his food matches his mouth." Nami muttered, eyeing the drink warily before taking a sip. She paused, then took a larger gulp, a grin appearing on her face. "This is good!"

"Nothing less for two beauties!" Sanji beamed, tossing some spices into the pan. He hummed happily as he moved around the kitchen like he had used it for years, completely in his own element.

The door opened and Zoro sauntered in having finished his daily training. He barely glanced at the women before heading behind the counter to get some alcohol to drink. He had to stop, however, as a leg appeared before him, blocking his way.

"This is my kitchen. No touching." Sanji told the swordsman, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

"You can have your kitchen, I'm here for the booze." Zoro glared at the man.

"Over my dead body."

"Sure." Zoro smirked and pulled out one of his swords.

"Idiots." Nami said as she and Robin watched the two bicker and fight one another. It had become a routine in their lives now. One of the two would insult or annoy the other, and then they would spend most of the day fighting one another. It had started out with small fights, but they had grown over time, coincidentally as Sanji grew stronger.

"It's done!" Sanji announced suddenly as he dodged one of Zoro's attacks and hurried over to the stove, admiring the food. Zoro grunted, annoyed that their fight had been cut short. He snatched a bottle of booze quickly before taking a seat at the table as the others entered as well.

Sanji started spreading out the numerous dishes he had prepared on the table, much to the wide eyes and watering mouths of the crew members. Once everyone had settled in, Luffy grabbed his cup.

"We finally have a cook! Welcome Sanji!" He lifted his cup and everyone else did as well, bumping them together and congratulating the cook, who looked clearly embarrassed and waved them off.

Once everyone drank, he started dishing out the food for them all, and Zoro couldn't help but notice that his plate held a bit more food than everyone else's. He took a bite. It was good. Not that he would ever tell the cook that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Thank you all for reading! This was a really fun story to write and I appreciate the support! It was fun to write a new style of Sanji. I tried my best to grow him into the person he is currently. If you had a favorite moment, please let me know! See you guys in the next story :)


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